1 Edmond Halley: So we have our geologist. Who next, Mr Newton?
1 Isaac Newton: A mathematician.
2 Edmond Halley: But there are so many! Which to choose with all of history at our disposal?
3 Isaac Newton: One with a strong grasp of the metaphysical, and profound insights into the deeper nature of reality.
4 Edmond Halley: You refer to one who takes opium?
4 Isaac Newton: Of course.

Opium is an extract from the sap of the opium poppy. The active ingredient is morphine, which is closely related to - and can be converted into - heroin. It was used as a recreational drug throughout history, with evidence of its use going back around 6000 years.

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2025-08-12 Rerun commentary: Opium can be dissolved in alcohol to form laudanum. This was used from at least the 16th century as a pain reliever, cough suppressant, and treatment for diarrhoea.

I remember learning about laudanum from that wholesome childhood comic book, Asterix, in which the word is used as the name of one of the Roman camps near the Gaulish village. The other camps were Aquarium, Compendium, and Totorum. The first two are straightforward enough, but it was only in later life that I realised that Totorum was intended to be "tot o' rum", another intoxicating drink!